Besides doing the National Environment Agency’s B-L-O-C-K mozzie wipeout, arm yourself with some of these lesser-known facts to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your home.  Protect your family now!

Aedes mosquitoes can bite at night too

The Aedes mosquito is most active during daylight hours, with peak biting periods about 2 hours before sunrise and just after sunset. Spray yourself with insect repellent to protect yourself from being bitten.

Do note that in Singapore’s highly urbanised environment, the Aedes mosquito has been observed to have adapted to artificial lighting and can bite at night as well! So don’t forget your repellent even when going out at night or even when you are at home.

Dengue reinfection is possible

Though recovery from a dengue infection is believed to provide lifelong immunity, it is possible to get dengue up to 4 times as there are 4 different strains of dengue virus circulating in Singapore.

A second infection becomes more dangerous as it carries a higher risk of developing severe dengue, which can be fatal.

DenV-1 and DenV-2 have been the most dominant virus strains up to recent years. But since 2021, there has been a spike in the number of DenV-3 and DenV-4 infections.

Due to the low immunity among Singaporeans for these less common strains, the risk of infection is thus much higher.

Scrub your containers to dislodge any stray mosquito eggs

When you empty your wet containers, make sure you not only throw away the water but also do a thorough scrub to remove any mosquito eggs.

Aedes mosquito eggs can stick onto the walls and floors of wet containers even after they have been emptied. These eggs can survive on dry surfaces for several years, so the next time the container gets refilled with water, the eggs can hatch and grow into adult mosquitoes!

The Aedes mosquitoes need water as small in volume as a 20-cent coin to breed. Do your bit to remove sources of stagnant water in your homes and break the chain of dengue transmission. Protect yourselves and your loved ones by doing the B-L-O-C-K Mozzie wipeout today!